Lighting fixture installation



April 7 1964 5. J. ZAGEL 7 3,123,003

.LIGHTING FIXTURE INSTALLATION Filed May 15, 1962 INVENTOR.

ATT'YS United States Patent 3,128,003 LIGHTING FIXTURE INTALLATIONSamuel J. Zagel, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Compco Corporation, Chicago,lill., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 15, 1962, Ser. No. 194,809 4Claims. (Cl. 220-18) This invention relates to a lighting fixtureinstallation, and, more particularly, to a lighting fixture installationincorporating a novel mounting bracket.

The instant invention has particular utility in connection withfluorescent lighting wherein elongated casings are employed. Thesecasings are relatively heavy, and normally include glass, so that theproblem of installation is a delicate onethe installation ordinarilybeing at an elevated point. Extraordinary care must be taken not to jarthe casing, and the length makes them unwieldy to handle.

It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a way of mounting theelongated casing which avoids the difficulties outlined above, and thisconstitutes a principal object of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel mounting bracketsuitable for installation at the point where a lighting fixture casingis to be mounted so that all that is required thereafter is to lift thecasing in place and secure the same, if desired.

Still another object is to provide a novel lighting fixture installationincluding a novel mounting bracket for installation first at the site ofmounting and thereafter to apply an advantageously constructed casingthereto.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the detailsof construction and operation set down in this specification.

The invention will be explained in conjunction with an illustrativeembodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is anelevational view of a lighting fixture used in connection with theinstant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view such as would be seenalong the sight line 2-2 applied to FIG. 1; and

being omitted from FIG. 1 for the sake of simplifying the drawing.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the frame 11, which alternatively can beconsidered a casing, includes a top plate 14 which is seen to beinclined to the horizontal at an angle of about 15 to act as a graveland water stop. The top plate 14 is equipped with a downwardly-extendingflange 15 at the extreme rear thereof and a downwardlyextending flange16 at the extreme forward portion thereof. The top wall 14 isintegrated, as by welding, to end plates or sides 17 which are providedwith inwardlyextending flanges as at 18 for defining the frame aroundthe diffuser plate 12. Preferably, the diffuser 12 is pigmented white soas to give a soft illumination. Thus, the diffuser and the flanges 16and 18 define a front wall or side of the casingthis in combination withan upwardly-extending flange 19 provided as part of the frame 11. Thebottom wall generally designated 20 is made up of a diffuser 21 similarto the diffuser 12 and flange portions 22 and 23 provided as part of theframe 11.

3,128,003 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 The rear wall of the casing 11 isprovided by a plate 24 which is equipped with a forwardly-extendingflange portion as at 25, the wall 24 extending below the bottom wall 20as at 26.

Extending between the lower rear corner and the upper forward corner isa reflector 27 which has a forwardlyextending flange portion 28cooperating with the flange portion 23 to define a way or support groovefor the bottom diffuser 21. A formed clip 29 is provided at the lowerforward corner of the casing 11 to serve as the other way (incombination with flange portion 22) for the diffuser 21. Aiding insupporting the reflector 27 is a strap 30 which may be secured as bywelding to the upper wall 14 as at 31. An angle clip 32 is provided atthe upper forward corner of the casing 11 to cooperate with the flangeportion 16 in defining a way or support groove for the front diffuser12.

The reflector 27 supports a lamp 33 which is suitably connected bywiring (not shown) to a ballast 34-this in conventional fashion. Theballast 34 is mounted on the rear wall 24, as by metal screws which areomitted for the sake of simplifying the drawing.

The end walls 17 are equipped with mounting holes as at 35 forinterconnecting several lengths of fixtures and where a given end wall17 provides the end of a multifixture installation, the holes 35 can beclosed by the usual plug buttons. Each end wall 17 is also equipped witha knock-out portion 36 to provide a continuous wireway.

As an example of the casing 11, the length between the outsides of theend walls 17 is 72 /8", while the overall height of the front wall 36,measured between the outsides of the flange portions 16 and 19, is 12".The distance between the front wall 36 and the mounting structure 13 isalso 12".

The casing 11 is mounted on the structure 13 by means of a bracketgenerally designated 37. The bracket 37 is seen to include a unitarybody which is elongated corresponding to the length of the casing 11 andequipped at the lower end with a trough-like portion as at 38. Thetrough-like portion is advantageously provided by deforming or bendingthe bracket body 39 on itself along longitudinal lines as at 40 and 41so as to develop a discrete horizontal portion as at 42 and anupstanding wall portion 43 defining the trough 38.

At its upper end, the body 39, which conveniently may be constructed ofmetal, is equipped with a stepped portion 44 made up of ahorizontally-extending part 45 and a vertically-extending part 46.

The structure 13 is defined in part by a horizontal top wall 13a and avertical front wall 13b, defining a right angle as at 130. The steppedportion 44, in combination with the essentially planar body 39, conformsto this right angle, and the bracket 37 is secured to the structure 13by means of a plurality of screws 47.

Examination of FIG. 2 indicates that the depending flange portion 26 ofthe rear wall 24 is supported within the trough portion 38, while thedepending flange 15 of the top wall 14 is secured to the upstanding part46 by means of a plurality of sheetmetal screws 48.

The bracket 37 may be additionally secured to the structure 13 by otherbolts or screws as at 49 and 50.

In the installation of the device, the bracket 37 is first secured tothe structure 13, utilizing the bolts, screws, etc., 47, 49 and 50*,after which the fixture 10 is elevated above the bracket 37 andthereafter moved down wardly to fit the depending flange portion 26 ofthe rear wall 24 into the trough portion 38 while positioning thedepending flange 15 of the top wall 14 rearwardly of the upstanding part46. At this juncture, the installation is completely secure, and theartisan at his leisure can install the additional securing screws 48.

In the specific example given, the height of the depending flange is 1as is the width of the horizontal part 45 of the bracket 37. I find itadvantageous to provide the stepped portion 44, since this permitscomplete roofing prior to instalation of the lighting equipment.Further, there is an advantageous rigidification of the upstanding part4-6, since the top 1311 of the structure 13 also carries a portion ofthe weight load. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatin certain installations it may be advantageous to change the characterof the stepped portion i4 and perhaps omit the same if spacerequirements so dictate.

The trough-like portion 38 is shaped to position the upstanding wallportion 43 a discrete distance away from the main body 33 of the bracket37, with this distance being greater than the thickness of the rear wall24, particularly the thickness of the depending flange portion 26. Thus,there is ready access to the trough portion 38, but it will be notedthat the head 47:: of the screws 47 project outwardly from the body 39to abut the rear wall 24 and thus effectively urge the flange portion 26against the upstanding wall 4' 3 of the trough portion 38.

In FIG. 3, a modified form of the bracket is seen and is designatedgenerally by the numeral 137. The upper portion of the bracket 137 isfolded on itself as at 146 to develop a horizontally-extending portion145. As in the case of the FIG. 2 construction, the bracket 137 issuitably anchored to a wall or other structure, as by means of bolts,one of which is pictured as at 149.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set down a detaileddescription of an embodiment of the invention for the sake ofillustration thereof, many variations in the details herein given may bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A lighting fixture installation, comprising a supporting structure,an elongated casing having a generally flat rear wall, said rear wallextending beyond said casing transversely thereof to provide a lowermounting flange, said casing having a hook-shaped portion extendingrearwardly transversely beyond said flat wall to provide an uppermounting flange, and an elongated mounting bracket secured to saidsupporting structure and said casing, said bracket having a trough-likeportion along one longitudinal edge receiving said lower mounting flangeof said casing, and a rigid flat portion along its other edge standingfree of said supporting structure, said fiat portion being positionedbetween said casing and said hook-shaped portion.

2. A lighting fixture installation, comprising a frame adapted tosupport a casing, an elongated, generally rectangular casing on saidframe and equipped with a rearwardly projecting top wall having aterminal depending flange and a downwardly projecting rear wall, abracket interconnecting said casing and frame, said bracket including anelongated unitary body, said body having a flat,longitudinally-extending central portion and being equipped with anupper bearing portion for engagement with said depending flange, withsaid upper bearing portion being parallel to and laterally ofiset fromsaid central portion, said bracket also being equipped with a lowertrough-shaped portion receiving said downwardly projecting rear wall,and means securing said bracket to said frame and said casing to saidbracket.

3. A lighting fixture installation, comprising a frame adapted tosupport a light fixture casing, an elongated, generally rectangularcasing mounted on said frame and equipped with a rearwardly projectingtop wall having a terminal depending flange and a downwardly projectingrear wall, a bracket interconnecting said casing and frame, said bracketincluding an elongated unitary body, said body having a flat,longitudinally extending central portion and being equipped with anupper bearing portion for engagement with said depending flange, saidupper bearing portion being parallel to and laterally offset from saidcentral portion, said bracket being equipped with a lower trough-shapedportion receiving said downwardly projecting rear wall, saidtrough-shaped portion being defined by folding said body on itself toprovide an upstanding wall separated from said body by a distancegreater than the thickness of said depending flange, and means securingsaid bracket to said frame and said casing to said bracket.

4. A lighting fixture installation, comprising a frame adapted tosupport a light fixture casing, an elongated, generally rectangularcasing mounted on said frame and equipped with a rearwardly projectingtop wall having a terminal depending flange and a downwardly projectingrear wall, a bracket interconnecting said casing and frame, said bracketincluding an elongated unitary body, said body having a flat,longitudinally extending central portion and being equipped with anupper bearing portion for engagement with said depending flange, saidupper bearing portion being parallel to and laterally offset from saidcentral portion, said bracket being equipped with a lower trough-shapedportion receiving said downwardly projecting rear wall, saidtrough-shapedportion being defined by folding said body on itself toprovide an upstanding wall separated from said body by a distancegreater than the thickness of said depending flange, and means securingsaid bracket to said frame and said casing to said bracket, saidsecuring means including screws positioned above said trough-shapedportion for securing said body to said frame, said screws bearingagainst said rear wall to urge the same against said upstanding wall.

References Cited in' the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,277,738 Wilkinson Aug. 4, 1939 2,569,772 Olsen Oct. 2, 1951 3,084,247Bobrick Apr. 2, 1963

1. A LIGHTING FIXTURE INSTALLATION, COMPRISING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE,AN ELONGATED CASING HAVING A GENERALLY FLAT REAR WALL, SAID REAR WALLEXTENDING BEYOND SAID CASING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF TO PROVIDE A LOWERMOUNTING FLANGE, SAID CASING HAVING A HOOK-SHAPED PORTION EXTENDINGREARWARDLY TRANSVERSELY BEYOND SAID FLAT WALL TO PROVIDE AN UPPERMOUNTING FLANGE, AND AN ELONGATED MOUNTING BRACKET SECURED TO SAIDSUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND SAID CASING, SAID BRACKET HAVING A TROUGH-LIKEPORTION ALONG ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE RECEIVING SAID LOWER MOUNTING FLANGEOF SAID CASING, AND A RIGID FLAT PORTION ALONG ITS OTHER EDGE STANDINGFREE OF SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, SAID FLAT PORTION BEING POSITIONEDBETWEEN SAID CASING AND SAID HOOK-SHAPED PORTION.